La Blanquera facts for kids
La Blanquera (which means Palace of the Blanco family) is a beautiful old Spanish-style building in the city of San Carlos, Venezuela. A rich family of cattle ranchers from Spain, called Blanco y Salazar, built this house in the late 1700s.
The house is white and has fancy decorations from the Baroque style. These include columns with carvings of native people wearing feathered hats. People say that Don Joseph Blanco y Salazar built this house as a quiet place for his family to live after peace was made with the native Apure people.
The Blanco Family: Exploring Apure
Don Joséph (José) Blanco y Salazar was an explorer born in October 1690 in a Spanish village called Galaroza. His parents were Juan Martin Blanco and María Salazar y Sánchez. When he was about 12 years old, around 1702, he traveled to Venezuela with his uncle.
Don José joined a special group called the Third Order of Saint Francis. This was to follow a royal rule from 1676 about settling new lands. Don José and his family helped explore and settle the area known today as Apure. They wanted to find more land for their cattle, as their lands in San Carlos were getting crowded.
On August 28, 1726, Don José married his cousin, Clara Teresa Salazar y Sánchez. She was the daughter of his uncle, Don Francisco. They had seven children together. The King of Spain gave Don José these new lands as a gift. This was to thank him for being the "Discoverers of Apure and its Founders."
La Blanquera Today
This important old house was taken over by the local government on October 20, 1942, because it seemed empty. Later, in 1977, La Blanquera was officially named a historical monument. A ceremony was held, and even some of the Blanco family's descendants, now known as the Guillén family, were there.
An Italian architect named Graziano Gasparini led the project to rebuild the house. Today, La Blanquera serves as a cultural center for the people of San Carlos. Inside, you can find many old items from the colonial times. These include an old church bell from 1801 and historical paintings and photographs.
See also
In Spanish: La Blanquera para niños
